Flushing system for a pressurized toilet

ABSTRACT

A toilet system including a bowl and a tank configured to hold water and air and deliver water to the bowl. The tank includes a water inlet and outlet. A valve moves between an open position and a closed position, and the valve closes the outlet when the valve is in the closed position. The system includes a lever positioned to engage the valve and a plunger that is configured to engage the lever. The tank includes a container that holds water and pressurized air above the water. The container is positioned such that the water and pressurized air in the container apply a force to the lever through the plunger which causes the lever to move the valve from the closed position toward the open position in order that water can flush and refill the toilet bowl and air can flow into the tank and container.

BACKGROUND

In recent times, government regulations and environmental concerns haveled to requirements that toilets minimize the amount of water used perflush. As a result, there are now pressurized toilets that use waterpressure to limit the amount of water used in a flush. The tank of apressurized toilet is typically situated above the bowl and is filledfrom below with water that enters the tank through an inlet connected toa large, pressurized water pipe. Air is compressed within the tank asthe tank is filled with water, and the water stops entering the tankonce the air pressure and water pressure in the tank meet a desiredbalance. The tank also includes a large outlet pipe that leads to arelease valve that is positioned to release water into the bowl of thetoilet. When the tank is filled with water, the release valve blocks theflow of water from the tank into the toilet bowl. The release valve isconnected to a handle or button that is typically mounted on the outsideof the tank. Activating the handle or button causes the release valve toopen. When the valve opens, the high pressure in the tank forces thewater through the large outlet pipe and out the valve, allowing forhighly pressurized water to flow from the tank and into the toilet bowl.The pressurized flow of water into the bowl cleans the bowl and drainsout of the bowl through an outlet pipe at the bottom of the bowl. Whenthe flushing action is complete, the release valve closes and waterflows back into the tank through the inlet, and the cycle ofpressurizing the water in the tank begins again.

The tremendous force of the pressurized water entering and exiting thetank and the sudden closing of the valves can cause “water hammer,” or apressure surge or wave, within the plumbing system that results in aloud noise and possible damage to the pipes to which the toilet isconnected. Also, the valves are complicated devices, involve many parts,and are typically not easy to access for repair. Also, the handle on anexisting pressurized toilet is connected to the release valve by acomplex mechanism that extends into the tank through a seal and uses theforce applied to the handle to pull the release valve or seal open fromwithin the tank, and against the forces of gravity and the waterpressure in the tank. Thus, an operator needs to apply as much as 60pounds of force to open the release valve unless the toilet includes acomplicated pilot valve that uses a large piston to provide the force toopen the release valve.

SUMMARY

Certain embodiments of the present invention provide a pressurized flushtoilet system that includes a bowl and a tank configured to hold waterand to deliver water to the bowl. The tank includes an inlet thatdelivers water into the tank and an outlet that allows water to exit thetank. The system also includes a valve that is configured to movebetween an open position and a closed position, wherein the valve closesthe outlet of the tank when the valve is in the closed position. Thesystem includes a lever positioned to engage the valve and a plungerthat extends out of the tank and that is configured to engage the lever.The plunger is movable with respect to the tank. The system includes acontainer configured to hold water and compressed air above the water.The air is compressed by being trapped between the water that enters thecontainer and the container walls. The container is positioned in thetank such that the water and compressed air held in the container applya force to the plunger such that the plunger applies a force to thelever which causes the lever to move the valve from the closed positiontoward the open position in order that water can refill the bowl and aircan flow into the tank and container.

Certain embodiments of the present invention also provide a pressurizedflush toilet system including a bowl and a tank configured to hold waterand to deliver water to the bowl. The tank includes an inlet thatdelivers water into the tank and an outlet that allows water to exit thetank. The system includes a valve that is configured to move between anopen position and a closed position, wherein the valve closes the outletof the tank when the valve is in the closed position. The systemincludes a lever positioned to engage the valve and a containerconfigured to hold water and compressed air above the water. Thecontainer is positioned in the tank such that the water and compressedair held in the container apply a force, and at least a portion of theforce is applied to the lever, which causes the lever to move the valvefrom the closed position toward the open position.

Certain embodiments of the present invention also provide a pressurizedflush toilet system including a bowl and a tank configured to hold waterand to deliver water to the bowl. The tank includes an inlet thatdelivers water into the tank and an outlet that allows water to exit thetank. The system includes a valve that is configured to move between anopen position and a closed position, wherein the valve closes the outletof the tank when the valve is in the closed position. The systemincludes a container configured to hold water and pressurized air abovethe water. The container is positioned in the tank. The system includesa plunger that is moveable with respect to the tank and that ispositioned proximate the container such that the water and pressurizedair in the container apply a force to the plunger, and at least aportion of that force is applied from the plunger to the valve to movethe valve from the closed position toward the open position.

These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the presentinvention will become better understood with reference to the followingdescription and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a top isometric view of a toilet, according to anembodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cutaway front view of the tank of FIG. 1, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cutaway front view of the tank of FIG. 1, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cutaway front view of the tank of FIG. 1, accordingto an embodiment of the present invention.

Because the embodiments of the invention are explained in detail, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited in its application tothe details of construction and the arrangement of the components setforth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. Theinvention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced orbeing carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant toencompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well asadditional items and equivalents thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 illustrates an isometric view of a toilet. The toilet 10 includesa bowl section 14 with a tank or dome 18 mounted thereto. The tank 18includes a handle 22 positioned along a side thereof that is used toflush the toilet 10. The handle 22 can be positioned at other places onthe tank 18 or toilet 10.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cutaway front view of the tank 18 of FIG. 1. Thetank 18 is mounted on a base 26 to define a reservoir 34. The reservoir34 holds water 38 and air 42. The tank 18 can have different shapes andsizes. By way of example only, the tank 18 can be generally cylindrical.By way of example only, the tank 18 is made of ceramic material. The air42 is compressed by the water 38 such that the water 38 is pressurizedwithin the tank 18. The base 26 includes a water inlet 46 that has afirst opening 50 that leads to an external water pipe (not shown) and asecond opening 54 that leads into the reservoir 34 of the tank 18. Theexternal pipe feeds water from the plumbing system of the building inwhich the toilet 10 is located into the water inlet 46. The inlet 46does not include a valve and allows water to flow freely into thereservoir 34. The compressed air 42 within the reservoir 34 prevents anymore water from entering the reservoir by way of the inlet 46 after acertain point. At this point, the reservoir 34 is at a pressurizedequilibrium. By way of example only, the water 38 is pressurized at 30to 50 pounds per square inch within the tank 18.

The base 26 also includes an interior cavity 58 that is connected to thereservoir 34 of the tank 18 by a first outlet 62 and that is connectedto the bowl 14 (FIG. 1) of the toilet 10 by a second outlet 66. Theoutlet 66 may be connected to the bowl 14 by an outlet pipe. The base 26includes an opening 78 positioned between the reservoir 34 of the tank18 and the cavity 58 of the base 26. A cylindrical rolling boot 82 ispositioned within the opening 78 and receives a plunger 86. The plunger86 is generally cylindrical and has a head 90 at one end and a tip 94 atanother end. The rolling boot 82 has a concentric U-shape with an outerwall 98 having a seal 102 positioned about the opening 78 and an innerwall 106 configured to resistably engage the head 90 of the plunger 86.Alternatively, a metal bellows could be used instead of the boot 82.

A hollow column or container 130 is positioned in the tank 18 above theplunger 86 on a top surface 132 of the base 26. The column 130 has acylindrical wall 134 integrally formed with or connected to a top wall128 to define a cylindrical cavity 136. Alternatively, the column 130and cavity 136 can have other shapes. The wall 134 of the column 130forms a seal with the top surface 132 of the base 26. The wall 134 canformed integrally with the top surface 132 or connected to the topsurface 132. An opening or drainage hole 140 extends through the wall134 of the column 130. The opening 140 can have different sizes and bepositioned on the wall 134 at various heights above the bottom surface132 of the base 26 depending on the desired flow and pressurecharacteristics for water passing through the opening 140.

The opening 140 allows air to enter into the cavity 136 from thereservoir 34 when the level of water in the tank 18 is less than theheight of the opening 140 above the top surface 132 and the level ofwater in the cavity 136 is below the height of the opening 140. Theopening 140 allows water to enter the cavity 136 from the reservoir 34when the tank 18 is filled with water to reach a level that is equal toor greater than the height of the opening 140 above the top surface 132of the base 26 and the level of water in the cavity 136 is below theheight of the opening 140. The opening 140 also allows water to drainout of the cavity 136 of the column 130 when there is water in thecavity 136 at a level that is above the height of the opening 140 andthere is water in the tank 18 at a level that is below the height of theopening 140. The opening 140 also allows air to escape or drain out ofthe cavity 136 of the column 130 when the level of water in the cavity136 is below the height of the opening 140 and the level of water in thetank 18 is below the height of the opening 140.

The column 130 holds air 120 and water 124. The air and water enter thecolumn 130 through the opening 140 as discussed above. As water entersthe cavity 136, the air in the column 130 becomes compressed, and, aftera certain point, the compressed air 120 within the column 130 preventsany more water from entering the column 130 through the opening 140. Atthis point, the column 130 reaches a pressurized equilibrium. The column130 is positioned such that the cavity 136 is located above the plunger86. When the water in the cavity 136 is at a pressurized equilibrium,the air pressure and weight of the water in the cavity 136 push downwardon the head 90 of the plunger 86.

A valve 142 is mounted in the reservoir 34 proximate the first outlet62. The valve 142 is configured to rotate about a pivot 144. The valve142 can also be configured to move in other ways, such as axially. Thevalve 142 includes a circular sealing flap or seal 148 sized and shapedto cover and seal the first outlet 62. The seal 148 can be made ofrubber or any other flexible, sealing material. When the seal 148 ispositioned to close and seal the first opening 62, the valve 142 is in aclosed position. The pressure and weight of the water 38 in thereservoir 34, and the weight of the seal 148, hold the seal 148 in theclosed position.

A lever 70 is mounted within the cavity 58 of the base 26 and rotatesabout a pivot 74. The lever 70 has a generally flat base section 110formed with an arm 114 that is generally perpendicular to the basesection 110. By way of example only, the lever 70 is made of steel oraluminum. The arm 114 extends into the first outlet 62. A spring 118 ismounted along, and extends upwardly from, a floor 122 of the cavity 58and is positioned in a generally vertical alignment with the plunger 86.An engagement point 126 along the base section 110 of the lever 70 ispositioned between the tip 94 of the plunger 86 and the spring 118. Theengagement point 126 and the arm 114 of the lever 70 are on oppositesides of the pivot 74. The spring 118 resistably pushes upward againstthe engagement point 126 toward the tank 18, and the tip 94 of theplunger 86 resistably pushes downward against the engagement point 126toward the floor 122 of the cavity 58 due to the force of the compressedair and water 124 in the cavity 136 of the column 130 that pushesdownward against the plunger head 90. The downward force applied by theplunger 86 is greater than the upward force applied by the spring 118,and this difference in force causes the arm 114 to push up against theseal 148 of the valve 142. The amount of force applied by the arm 114 tothe seal 148 is not enough to push the seal 148 out of its closedposition about the first outlet 62. By way of example only, when theseal 148 is in the closed position, a force of 60 pounds can be requiredto push the seal 148 upward and out of the closed position, but theforce of the arm 114 applied upward against the seal 148 is 50 pounds.

The external handle 22 is connected to the lever 70 by a handle lever150 (FIG. 3) that extends through a passage (not shown) in the base 26.When a user rotates the handle 22, the handle lever 150 engages thelever 70 in order to apply force to rotate the lever 70 in the directionof Arrow A. The base 26 may be configured to allow for easy access tothe cavity and mechanisms in the cavity.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cutaway front view of the tank 18 of FIG. 1 thatshows the water 38 being drained from the reservoir 34 into the bowl 14(FIG. 1). Because a large portion of the force that is necessary to pushthe seal 148 upward and out of the first outlet 62 is already beingsupplied to the lever 70 by the plunger 86, a user operating the handle22 needs to only apply the remainder of the force necessary to cause thelever 70 to rotate in the direction of Arrow A and push the seal 148 outof the closed position. By way of example only, the user may need toapply ten pounds of force by rotating the handle 22 to cause the lever70 to push the seal 148 upward and out of the first outlet 62. As thelever 70 is rotated in the direction of Arrow A to overcome theresistance of the closed valve 142 due to the force applied by a userturning the handle 22, the spring 118 is compressed, and the plunger 86,which is pushed downward by the pressurized air and water 124 that is inthe cavity 136 of the column 130 after the valve 142 is opened, pushesfurther downward into the cavity 58 of the base 26. Once the seal 148 ispartially moved out of the closed position, the clamping force of theseal 148 is greatly reduced such that the user can stop applying forceby way of the handle 22 and the force applied to the lever 70 by theplunger 86 completes the process of moving the valve 142 to the openposition. The plunger 86 continues to apply force to the lever 70 suchthat the arm 114 of the lever 70 keeps pushing the seal 148 upward evenafter the user has stopped applying force to the lever 70 by way of thehandle 22. In this way, the force applied by the pressurized plunger 86to the lever 70 reduces and limits the amount of force that needs to beapplied by a user turning the handle 22 and the amount of time that suchforce needs to be applied.

As the valve 142 is moved to the open position, the pressurized water 38in the reservoir 34 flows out of the first outlet 62 and into the cavity58 of the base 26 and then out of the second outlet 66 and into the bowl14 (FIG. 1) of the toilet 10. By way of example only, the water 38 canbe pressurized at 30 psi upon being released from the tank 18. Becauseof the pressure on the water 38 in the reservoir 34 due to thecompressed air 42, the water 38 empties out of the reservoir 34 and intothe bowl 14 in a matter of seconds. The highly pressurized flow of water38 from the tank 18 to the bowl 14 cleans the bowl 14 and then drainsfrom the bowl 14 through a siphon pipe (not shown) in a few secondswhile reducing the amount of water needed per flush. In an alternativeembodiment, the tank 18 can be used to flush the bowl of a urinal. Afterthe pressurized water has exited the bowl 14, water that has flowed intothe emptied tank 18 from the inlet 46 flows from the tank 18 through theoutlets 62 and 66 into the bowl 14 to refill the bowl 14. Also, air isreplenished in the reservoir 34 by flowing into the reservoir throughthe outlet 62.

FIG. 4 illustrates a cutaway front view of the tank 18 of FIG. 1 thatshows most of the water drained from the reservoir 34. Even after mostof the water located in the reservoir 34 outside of the cavity 136 hasexited the tank 18 via the outlet 62 due to the pressure on the water inthe tank 18, water remains in the column 130. This is because theopening 140 in the column 130 is sized and positioned so that waterdrains out of the column 130 through the opening 140 at such a rate thatthe level of the water in the cavity 136 of the column 130 remainshigher than the level of water in the reservoir 34 outside of the column130 as water exits the tank 18 through the outlet 62. In this way, evenafter most of the pressurized water has exited the reservoir 34, thepressurized water in the cavity 136 of the column 130 continues to applyweight and pressure on the lever 70 such that the arm 114 maintains thevalve 142 in the open position. With the valve 142 maintained in theopen position, water continues to flow into the reservoir 34 by way ofthe inlet 46, and because the outlet 62 is still open, air can flow upinto the reservoir 34 so that the cycle of pressurizing the tank 18 canbegin again once the valve 142 is closed. In this way, the air and waterin the column 130 operate as a timing device that delays closure of thevalve 142 so that water flowing into the reservoir 34 through the inlet46 can drain out of the reservoir 34 to refill the bowl 14 after thepressurized water in the tank 18 that had been used to flush the bowl 14has exited the bowl 14 through the siphon pipe.

As the water drains out of the cavity 136 of the column 130 through theopening 140, the weight of the water in the cavity 136 and the pressureof the compressed air in the cavity 136 that are applied to the arm 114via the plunger 86 are reduced. Eventually, enough water drains out ofthe cavity 136 that the force applied by the water and air pressure inthe cavity 136 to the plunger 86 is not enough to overcome the upwardforce applied to the lever 70 at the engagement point 126 by the spring118 and the downward force applied to the arm 114 of the lever 70 by theweight of the valve 142. At this point, the forces applied by the spring118 and the valve 142 to the lever 70 cause the lever 70 to rotate inthe direction of Arrow B. At the same time, the weight of the seal 148pushes downward against the arm 114 of the lever 70. The weight of theseal 148 pushing against the arm 114 of the lever 70, combined with theforce of the spring 118 pushing the engagement point 126 upward, allowsfor the seal 148 to move once again to the closed position over thefirst outlet 62. In this way, the column 130 operates to control theclosing of the valve 142.

As new water continues to be delivered into the reservoir 34 by way ofthe inlet 46 after the valve 142 is closed, the water fills the tank 18and air that has entered the reservoir 34 via outlet 62 enters thecavity 136 of the container 130 through the opening 140. Moreover, whenthe water level in the tank 18 reaches the height of the opening 140 ofthe column 130 above the top surface 132, water also fills the cavity136 through the opening 140. At a certain point, the air in the cavity136 becomes compressed such that no more water can enter the cavity 136.Similarly, at a certain point, the air in the reservoir 34 becomescompressed such that no more water can enter the reservoir 34. Thus, apoint of water pressure equilibrium is again achieved in the reservoir34 and the cavity 136. In this way, the reservoir 34 maintains generallythe same amount of pressure for each flush without having to include asystem to deliver air into the reservoir 34. Additionally, because thereis air in the reservoir 34, a valve is not needed at the inlet 46 todose water into the reservoir 34. Rather, the inlet 46 simply deliverswater to the reservoir 34 until the compressed air 42 will not allow anymore water to enter the reservoir 34. Alternatively, a pressureregulator may be provided at the water inlet 46 to limit pressure orbackflow. The compressed air 42 serves as the mechanism to limit theamount of water that is delivered into the reservoir 34. Therefore, theinlet 46 can simply provide a constant flow of water without use of avalve, and as the reservoir 34 is emptied by flushing, the water canflow right back into the reservoir 34 by way of the inlet 46.

The speed of water leaving the reservoir 34 due to the air pressureprevents the reservoir 34 from refilling so quickly that the water inthe column 130 does not have time to drain into a generally emptyreservoir 34.

Moreover, as the column 130 refills with water and again reaches apressurized equilibrium during the refilling process, the plunger 86 isagain pushed downward by the force of the pressurized water in thecolumn 130 pushing against the plunger head 90. The lever 70, valve 142,and plunger 86 thus return to their positions shown in FIG. 2.

Thus, embodiments of the present invention help control the flush ofwater, save water, reduce water hammer, and reduce the number of movingpart in a toilet. By reducing the number of moving parts, theembodiments of the present invention make repair and replacement ofparts easier. More specifically, the embodiments of the presentinvention provide a high pressure toilet tank and flushing system thatdoes not require the use of an inlet valve to the tank. In this way, thesystem limits the number of complicated parts needed to fill the tank,reduces the need for a large pipe to deliver water to the tank, andreduces the effect of water hammer from an inlet valve suddenly closing.Also, the tank outlet valve is kept in the sealed position by the weightand pressure of the water in the tank, and the column controls theclosing of the valve to allow time for the bowl to be refilled.Furthermore, the flushing system uses a plunger and lever to assist inpushing the outlet valve open from below and outside of the tank, and,as such, reduces the amount of force needed to open the outlet valve ofthe pressurized tank and allows for easy access to repair or replace theactivating lever. In addition, by trapping air that flows upwardsthrough the outlet into the tank after each flush, the tank does notrequire a separate inlet to deliver a controlled amount of air into thetank to pressurize the water. Also, as the water level in the containerfalls below the height of the exit hole, the air in the container (whichbecomes pressurized and applies force to the lever and valve) can bereplenished with each flush without the need for any complex movingparts.

While various spatial and directional terms, such as top, bottom, lower,mid, lateral, horizontal, vertical, front and the like may be used todescribe embodiments of the present invention, it is understood thatsuch terms are merely used with respect to the orientations shown in thedrawings. The orientations may be inverted, rotated, or otherwisechanged, such that an upper portion is a lower portion, and vice versa,horizontal becomes vertical, and the like.

Variations and modifications of the foregoing are within the scope ofthe present invention. It is understood that the invention disclosed anddefined herein extends to all alternative combinations of two or more ofthe individual features mentioned or evident from the text and/ordrawings. All of these different combinations constitute variousalternative aspects of the present invention. The embodiments describedherein explain the best modes known for practicing the invention andwill enable others skilled in the art to utilize the invention. Theclaims are to be construed to include alternative embodiments to theextent permitted by the prior art.

Various features of the invention are set forth in the following claims.

1. A pressurized flush toilet system, comprising: a bowl; a tankconfigured to hold water and to deliver water to said bowl, said tankincluding an inlet that delivers water into said tank and an outlet thatallows water to exit said tank; a valve being configured to move betweenan open position and a closed position, wherein said valve closes saidoutlet of said tank when said valve is in said closed position; a leverpositioned to engage said valve; a plunger that extends out of said tankand that is configured to engage said lever, said plunger being movablewith respect to said tank; and a container configured to hold water andcompressed air and being positioned in said tank such that water andcompressed air held in said container apply a force to said plunger suchthat said plunger applies a force to said lever which causes said leverto move said valve from said closed position toward said open position.2. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 1, further comprising ahandle external to said tank, said handle being connected to said leversuch that force applied to said handle is applied to said lever to causesaid lever to apply force to said valve and push said valve out of saidclosed position.
 3. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 1,wherein said inlet delivers water into said tank until the pressure ofair and water in said tank prevents any more water from entering saidtank.
 4. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 1, furthercomprising a spring configured to resistably engage said lever and pushsaid lever away from said valve.
 5. The pressurized flush toilet systemof claim 1, wherein said container includes a hole on a side wallthereof that allows water and air to drain out of said container toreduce the amount of water and air in said container.
 6. The pressurizedflush toilet system of claim 5, wherein as water drains out of saidhole, the force applied by the water and the compressed air that remainin said container to said plunger causes said plunger to engage saidlever such that said lever engages said valve to maintain said valve outof said closed position.
 7. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim6, wherein after a certain amount of water drains out of said container,the force applied to said plunger by the water and compressed air insaid container reduces to a point wherein said plunger no longer appliesenough force to said lever to prevent said valve from moving to saidclosed position.
 8. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 1,further including a base having a cavity that extends from said outletto said bowl, said lever being positioned within said cavity and saidplunger partially extending into said cavity.
 9. A pressurized flushtoilet system, comprising: a bowl; a tank configured to hold water andto deliver water to said bowl, said tank including an inlet thatdelivers water into said tank and an outlet that allows water to exitsaid tank; a valve being configured to move between an open position anda closed position, wherein said valve closes said outlet of said tankwhen said valve is in said closed position; a lever positioned to engagesaid valve; and a container configured to hold water and compressed airand being positioned in said tank such that water and compressed airheld in said container apply a force and at least a portion of thatforce is applied to said lever which causes said lever to move saidvalve from said closed position toward said open position.
 10. Thepressurized flush toilet system of claim 9, further comprising a plungerthat is movable with respect to said tank and that is positionedproximate said container such that water and compressed air in saidcontainer applies a force to said plunger such that said plunger appliesa force to said lever.
 11. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim9, further comprising a spring configured to resistably engage saidlever and push said lever away from said valve.
 12. The pressurizedflush toilet system of claim 9, wherein said container includes a holeon a sidewall thereof that allows water and air to drain out of saidcontainer to reduce the amount of water and air in said container. 13.The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 12, wherein as water drainsout of said hole, the force applied by the water and compressed air thatremain in said container is applied to said lever such that said leverengages said valve to maintain said valve out of said closed position.14. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 13, wherein after acertain amount of water drains out of said container, the force appliedby the water and compressed air in said container reduces to a pointwherein said lever no longer applies enough force to said valve toprevent said valve from moving to said closed position.
 15. Apressurized flush toilet system, comprising: a bowl; a tank configuredto hold water and to deliver water to said bowl, said tank including aninlet that delivers water into said tank and an outlet that allows waterto exit said tank; a valve being configured to move between an openposition and a closed position, wherein said valve closes said outlet ofsaid tank when said valve is in said closed position; a containerconfigured to hold water and compressed air and being positioned in thetank; and a plunger that is moveable with respect to said tank and thatis positioned proximate said container such that water and compressedair in said container apply a force to said plunger and at least aportion of that force is applied from said plunger to said valve to movesaid valve from said closed position toward said open position.
 16. Thepressurized flush toilet system of claim 15, further comprising a leverthat is positioned to engage said valve and said plunger, wherein saidlever applies a force from said plunger to said valve to move said valvefrom said closed position toward said open position.
 17. The pressurizedflush toilet system of claim 16, further comprising a spring configuredto resistably engage said lever and push said lever away from saidvalve.
 18. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 15, wherein saidcontainer includes a hole on a sidewall thereof that allows water andair to drain out of said container to reduce the amount of water and airin said container.
 19. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 18,wherein as water drains out of said hole, the force applied by the waterand compressed air that remain in said container to said plunger isapplied to said valve to maintain said valve out of said closedposition.
 20. The pressurized flush toilet system of claim 19, whereinafter a certain amount of water drains out of said container, the forceapplied by the water and compressed air in said container reduces to apoint wherein the force applies from said plunger to said valve is nolonger great enough to prevent said valve from moving to said closedposition.